NewsNation plans live coverage in Tuscaloosa before, after Republican presidential debate

Mark Hughes Cobb, Tuscaloosa News
·2 min read

Cable network NewsNation has added local live programming preceding and following its Dec. 6 coverage of the GOP presidential debate in the Moody Concert Hall on the University of Alabama campus.

At 4 p.m. Dec. 4, Blake Burman, NewsNation's chief Washington correspondent, will moderate the political ensemble program "The Hill" live from the front of UA's Moody building. On Dec. 5, there will be broadcasts live from the UA Quad, at the center of the campus, including "News Nation Now" with Connell McShane, 2-4 p.m., and "On Balance with Leland Vittert," at 6 p.m.

More: How to watch Tuscaloosa Republican presidential debate: Start time, channel, moderators

On Dec. 6, most of the NewsNation lineup will be live from Tuscaloosa, including the shows above, and more. Leading up the 7-9 p.m. debate, there'll be a two-hour "Countdown to the NewsNation Republican Primary Debate" special hosted by Chris Cuomo, with chief Washington anchor Vittert live from inside the hall.

NewsNation will have analysis and commentary during the day and after the event, by Cuomo, Vittert, political editor Chris Stirewalt, and other NewsNation reporters and contributors including senior political contributor George Will; former Trump administration officials Sean Spicer and Mick Mulvaney; and former Obama administration official Johanna Maska.

Moody Music Hall on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa will be the site of the Republican Presidential Debate Dec. 6, 2023.
Moody Music Hall on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa will be the site of the Republican Presidential Debate Dec. 6, 2023.

Here's the NewsNation schedule for debate day, with the times in Central:

  • 5-9 a.m. Central – "Morning in America" with co-anchors Adrienne Bankert and Markie Martin

  • 9 a.m.-noon – "NewsNation Live" with Marni Hughes

  • Noon-2 p.m. – "NewsNation Now" with Nichole Berlie

  • 2-4: "NewsNation Now" with Connell McShane, live from UA

  • 4-5 p.m. – "The Hill," live from UA

  • 5-7 – "Countdown to the NewsNation Republican Primary Debate" anchored by Chris Cuomo, live from UA

  • 7-9 – "NewsNation Republican Primary Debate, live from UA, with moderators Elizabeth Vargas (NewsNation), Megyn Kelly (Sirius XM), and Eliana Johnson (editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon).

  • 9-11 – "NewsNation Republican Primary Debate Special Report" anchored by Cuomo, live from UA

  • 11-1 a.m. -- An encore presentation of the NewsNation primary debate with partners "The Megyn Kelly Show" on SiriusXM Radio and The Washington Free Beacon

In addition to NewsNation, the debate will be simulcast in the Eastern and Central time zones on Nexstar’s broadcast television network, The CW. Viewers in Mountain and Pacific time zones will be able to watch the debate on CW television from 7-9 p.m. MT and 8-10 p.m. PT. The debate will be livestreamed on NewsNation’s website, www.NewsNationNow.com, and on the online video platform Rumble. An audio broadcast of the debate will be available on SiriusXM Triumph channel 111.

On Thursday, the UA on-campus broadcasts will continue with "The Hill," "NewsNation Now" with Connell McShane and "Elizabeth Vargas Reports."

Reach Mark Hughes Cobb at mark.cobb@tuscaloosanews.com

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Network expands coverage of Tuscaloosa Republican presidential debate